Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-26
ILLINOIS VENDETTA.
An Old Feud OF Ten Years Standing
Breaks Out Afresh-Thirteen Dead
Men with Boots On
Desperate Fight at q Dance, the lights
Out, Two Corpses on the FIoor-A
Series OF Assassinations.
DECADE OF BLOoDsHED.

ELIzABETHTOwN, Ill, Nov. 25.-The
Hardin county vendetts which threatened
to depopulste two counties few month!
ago, has broken out again and two more
desperate members have been rushed
hence without having an opportunity tx
remove their boots. The cemetery rec
ord shows a total OF thirteen killed, five
of whom have taken their departure this
year. Ten years sgo Logan
Bell, desperate character, shot and
killed Doe Oldham at dance IN
tie Oldham homestead. Both were among
the most prominent families in the county
and the excitement reached g high pitch.
The community took sides, and when
Wash Covert, witness for the prosecu-
ton, was laid low with charge Of buck
shoG the trouble began. Luke Hornbrink,
who was connected with the Oldham fac
tiun, was
ASSASSINATED ON HIS DOOR STEP.
Old msu Bell was soon after shot from
ambush and killed. Logan Bell was sent
to the penitentisry for the killing of Doe
Oldham and Bill Fraley went up for the
shooting of Covert. During the trial
kuslux organization, Of which Bell was
captain and which contained some of the
best men in the county, Wss exposed.
This band was called the "Sons
of Liberty" and its ostensible
object was to CIRCULATE citizens"
While Bell and Fraley were in the peni-
tentiary, q couple of men were killed on
each side. After they were released Bell
was indicted for the assassination Of
Hornbrink and was tried last spring and
acquitted. Three weeks later he was
shot dead from ambush. Two weeks after
Captain Logan Bells death, his brother
Jim Bell was shot and killed at the same
spot, 'cave in the rock" These
assassinations produced great copsterna-
ton and the friends gof the Bell faction,
among whom was Earl Sherwood and
others, received orders to emigrste and
they
MOVED INTO AN ADJOINING COUNTY.
Then Judge Hess of the Circuit court,
who presided at Bells trial, Wss threat
ened with death if he did not leave. He
armed himself and is still here. Last
Tuesday night a dance was given as
farm house near Battery r lex. Among
those who attended was John Bl&ir,s Bell
psrtisan, and Joe Hugelston, a relative Of
the Oldhams. Bill FraIey, who removed
Covert vas also among the spectators.
A out . O'Clock IN the morning the
festivities terminated by the report Of a
pistol and HugelstOn staggered back
against the wall, while Blair advanced on
him with weapon. Before the sggressor
could fire again HugeIston sprang upon
him
LIKE A TIGER,
and during the struggle that ensued the
lights were extinguished. Half a dozen
more shots were fired and the dancers
rushed panic stricken out Of the house.
Ten minutes after the ii 81
pistol shot ell was quiet again, and half q
dozen Of the young men returned. They
lighted lanterns and found two corpses
twined together on the floor. Hugelston
had been shot twlce through the body,
but had succeeded in drawing knife and
the result of his awful work was seen in
twelve wounds On Blair's body. The in
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